The present invention generally relates to a mobile track drill. More specifically, the present invention relates to a mechanical device that restricts the relative movement between the feed table and the positioning elements of drilling equipment upon mechanical failure.
In presently available mobile track drills, a drill track is used to guide the movement of a drill along a longitudinal axis. The drill track, in turn, is mounted to a feed table that serves as the point of connection to the articulated drilling boom of the movable track drill. Specifically, the feed table includes a pivot pin that is received and retained within a positioner block mounted to the drilling boom. The positioner block, in turn, is coupled to a hydraulic cylinder to control the position of the drill track to orient the drill track in the desired direction.
The pivot pin contained on the feed table allows the feed table and the attached drill track to rotate relative to the positioner block to further control the position of the drill track as desired. In present available mobile track drills, the feed table is manufactured such that the pivot pin is inserted into the positioner block and a retaining cap is attached to the pivot pin by a series of bolts to retain the pivot pin within the positioner block. The axial alignment and integrity of the feed table/positioner block joint is assured only by the material integrity of the pivot pin, the retaining cap and the connecting bolts.
During operation of the mobile track drill, if the drill track contacts the ground or an overhead obstacle while the mobile track drill is being moved, only the material integrity of the retaining cap, the pivot pin and the connecting bolts prevents separation of the drill track, feed table and drill from the drill boom. Any failure in these components could result in the unrestrained movement of the feed table and drill track away from the drill boom which, depending upon the direction of such relative movement, could result an undesirable and possibly unsafe situation.
Therefore, a need exists for a constraining device that further limits the ability of the feed table and drill track to separate from the positioner block mounted to the drill boom. Further, a need exists for a constraining device that allows the feed table to freely pivot relative to the positioner block while restricting the uncontrolled separation of the feed table from the positioner block.